The power of a glutathione precursor: how Immunocal works

What is a glutathione precursor?

A precursor is the raw material for something, not the thing itself. A glutathione precursor supplies the building blocks your cells need to make their own glutathione, rather than trying to deliver the finished molecule through a digestive system built to take proteins apart.*

Why does that matter?

Two reasons. First, delivery: precursors reach the cell in a form it can use. Second, control: the cell keeps its own regulation of how much it makes and when, instead of being flooded from outside. Researchers working on glutathione have made the same point repeatedly, that the better approach is to give the cell what it needs to build the molecule itself.

What makes Immunocal different from ordinary whey?

Cysteine is fragile. Heat and standard processing break the bonds that keep it intact, which is why most protein powders are not useful for this purpose. Immunocal is a whey protein isolate prepared specifically to preserve cysteine in its bonded form so it survives to reach your cells.* This is the substance of the patents: not whey, but a method of preparing it.

How did it come about?

From a Montreal laboratory in 1978, where Dr. Gustavo Bounous and Dr. Patricia Kongshavn at McGill University were studying how different dietary proteins affect immune response. One carefully prepared whey protein stood apart, and further work linked the effect to glutathione. Immunotec was founded around that work in 1996. Our research page has the full story and sources.

What does the research actually cover?

Immunotec reports more than 45 years of glutathione research, over 90 published studies and 79 patents worldwide, with independent testing for heavy metals, pesticides and plastics. What that body of work supports is the effect on glutathione levels. It is not a claim that the product treats any disease, and you should be wary of anyone who tells you otherwise.*

Who takes it, and why?

People come to it for different reasons: general wellness, healthy aging through Immunocal Platinum, or training and recovery through Immunocal Sport. If you are unsure which fits, ask us and we will point you to the right one rather than the most expensive one.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Immunotec products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Nothing here is medical advice; talk to your doctor about your own health.